The Aigina Treasure: Aegean Bronze Age Jewellery and a Mystery Revisited

Since its arrival at the British Museum in 1891, the Aigina Treasure - a group of Greek Bronze Age gold jewellery and other objects that is believed to come from the island of Aigina - has been shrouded in mystery and speculation. The many uncertainties about the Treasure include: its place of origin; whether all the objects are from the same findspot; whether it should be considered as a homogenous group. Through examination of stylistic elements and comparison with objects from other collections, the contributors to this volume variously argue for the Treasures possible Minoan, Mycenaean, Near Eastern and Egyptian connections. Major discoveries in the field have been made since Reynold Higgins' 1979 publication on the Treasure, including the excavation of a warrior shaft grave in Aigina in 1981. The essays are complemented by a complete catalogue of the Treasure, which incorporates the results of an extensive technological examination and is accompanied by specially taken, beautiful colour photographs.